(Scotsman) Rowan Williams urges Church of Scotland not to split over same-sex partnered Clergy

Posted by Kendall Harmon

The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has urged evangelical congregations within the Church of Scotland not to “walk away” over the ordination of [noncelibate] gay ministers.

Speaking on the eve of a visit to Scotland as the new chairman of Christian Aid, Williams said he understood some congregations might threaten to break away if the Kirk’s ­General Assembly votes to allow the ordination of gay ministers later this month, but warned against such a divisive move.

“The impulse to walk away, while deeply understandable, is not a very constructive one,” he said. “The things which bind Christians together are almost always more profound and significant for themselves and the world than the things that divide them. When you do walk away from other Christians you are in effect saying well, either I can do without you or I’ve got nothing to learn from you. That can’t be good for us. You may disagree, you may think somebody else is tacitly perverse, but you might want to hang in there with them.”

Some actions - and sacramental actions in particular - just do have the effect of putting a Church outside or even across the central stream of the life they have shared with other Churches. It isn’t a question of throwing people into outer darkness, but of recognising that actions have consequences - and that actions believed in good faith to be ‘prophetic’ in their radicalism are likely to have costly consequences.

The [formerly presbyterian] Church of Scotland knew what it was doing when it decided to be ‘prophetic’ just as TEC did. It just is the case that in terms of credibility of witness and pew numbers within and outside that denomination it just will have very costly consequences and probably as in the case of TEC lead to collapse in numbers, finance and those prepared to share communion with them. It is the path the UCC pioneered long ago.

The same will happen if the Church of England decides to be ‘prophetic’ by making Jeffrey John a bishop or if Justin Welby proceeds, as he indicates the House of Bishops may well, to authorise [‘private pastoral’ - whatever that means] blessings of same-sex unions [civil or uncivil].

There is little point in Dr Williams whinging on behalf of Christian Aid, whatever it has to do with them, when the consequences of the Church of Scotland’s ‘prophetic; action come home to roost. This is much as it is of little point for the Bishop of Sheffield to throw his toys out of the pram when there are Kenyan diaconal ordinations when his brothers insist on talking these prophetic actions up or proceed to authorise them.

Schmoozing Africans or Gauchos will not enable one to smooth ones way through these consequences or prepare they way for them, however many Global South bishops you invite for meals where the ABC drops in, or trips to affirm unity in diversity in South East Asia or South America, though it may muddle the waters for a time.

Consecrating or authorising the zeitgeist on behalf of God just will result in scandal and division - it has happened in TEC, it is happening in the Church of Scotland, and if our arrogant and hapless bishops and archbishops carry on as they indicate they intend to, it is going to happen in the Church of England. That is no wish on my part [far from it] nor it is the consequence of soothsaying, it is merely the oldest law of physics noted by Dr Williams before he went completely off the rails: Actions create Consequences.

What a tragedy, and a perversion from what we are meant to be doing as a church, preaching the word, making disciples, and committing ourselves to holiness of living following in his footsteps as our Saviour taught us.